Do wired networks have faster transmission speeds than wireless networks?

Answer 1

Short answer: Wired networks are typically faster than wireless networks. Taking factors into consideration such as reception and interference, wired networks are almost always faster than wireless networks. It should be noted that in almost all situations, either will be fast enough for your needs: when dealing with the internet, it is your connection to the world (DSL, Cable, Dialup) that provides the chokepoint. A faster local network will not speed up the time that it takes to load web pages or download files from the internet.

Wired Networks: 1Gbps networks are faster than any standard wireless networks to date (6/3/2009). However, they aren't all that common outside of a corporate setting, as they are expensive. Most computers today only have 10/100Mbps wired network cards, and almost always run at 100Mbps. They are also considered more reliable and easier to work with from a user standpoint (though running cable everywhere can be a headache), making them perfect for company use or people requiring high bandwidth from their local network such as a LAN party for Video Games.

Wireless Networks: A newer technology called Wireless-N is actually slightly faster than the standard 100Mbps wired connection. Many new computers in the past year or two have come with the hardware needed to connect to a Wireless-N network. They often connect at speeds of around 130Mbps (which is not that much of an improvement over the wired 100Mbps), but are capable of doing 300Mbps if placed into a mode which can be very flaky as well as disruptive to nearby wireless networks. Wireless-G networks, the standard that most people think of when they think "wireless", can only reach 54Mbps.

It should be noted that although the Wireless-N connection claims higher speeds, wireless networks do not always perform at their advertised rate. If signal strength is poor, it will actually slow down to improve the success rate of the communications. To understand this concept, imagine speaking to someone who is hard of hearing without being able to raise your voice: you would speak slowly so they could understand. Wired communication doesn't suffer such problems, as wires are less susceptible to interference and CAT-5 cabling, typical on wired networks, is specially designed to defeat interference.

If you are trying to decide which network is right for you, each offers benefits. Wired networks supply speed and reliability and avoid many headaches of wireless networks: connection requires that you be able to physically attach to the network, preventing neighbors from stealing your internet and eliminating the passwords necessary for wireless networks. Wireless networks provide convenience, typically to owners of laptop computers, but especially to people who will have guests/friends over who will be bringing a laptop, and eliminate the need for wires running everywhere.